An Understated Dominance (Maria Vittori) novel Chapter 1140

Chapter 1140 Deceptions and Lies

“What… What did you say?”

Shiela was utterly bewildered, struggling to grasp the situation. “You… You kidnapped me? Is this some kind of sick joke?”

“That’s correct, we all deceived you,” Nakamura admitted bluntly. “But you can attribute it to your own naivety. You lacked the discernment to separate truth from falsehood. A few casual remarks, and you took them to heart. Utterly gullible!”

“So… I misunderstood Dustin? I misjudged him?” Shiela quivered, tears brimming in her eyes, overwhelmed by profound regret.

She had never anticipated that the reality would be so different. She had believed that her cousin wouldn’t deceive her, that her closest friends wouldn’t betray her trust, and that Dustin was genuinely up to no good. Yet, Nakamura’s recent revelations made her suddenly realize that everything she had believed was a fabrication.

Garrett had duped her, her closest friends had lied to her, and only Dustin had been sincerely attempting to rescue her, to assist her. But she not only failed to recognize it but had even attempted to expel him from her household.

What had she been thinking? How could she have been so misled, so foolish?

“Why? Why did you all deceive me?” Shiela turned her gaze toward Chase and Vivian, her expression marked by doubt and bewilderment.

She couldn’t fathom why her closest friends would deceive her.

…

Under the weight of Shiela’s accusatory stare, Chase, Vivian, and the others lowered their heads, their silence speaking volumes. They hadn’t anticipated Nakamura’s brazen challenge to the General’s Residence, which had shattered their carefully constructed facade.

“Dustin, I’m so sorry… I never expected things to turn out like this,” Shiela said to Dustin amid the onlooking crowd, her cheeks continuously wet with tears. She felt ashamed, full of regret, burdened with pain, and deeply self-reproachful.

She had always despised those who repaid kindness with malice, yet she had become one of them.